It’s that time of year again when parents are buying new uniforms and preparing to send their children back to school.

Here, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Officer for Wales, Dr Mair Parry, gives tips on how to give children the healthiest start to the school year

(Image: Getty/ PennaPazza)

Breakfast

It is never a good idea for a child to go to school on an empty stomach.

For a child to learn, they need to be alert and awake.

Breakfast doesn’t need to be a full-blown cooked meal, it can be something nutritious and slow energy- releasing like eggs, beans on toast or porridge.

Other combinations of food that are great at keeping you full and energised until lunch include all fruit and vegetables, starchy foods like wholemeal bread, rice and wholegrain cereals.

Try to buy cereals lower in salt and sugar, dairy products like low-fat yoghurt and milk and protein like meat, fish, eggs and beans.

By ensuring they eat a breakfast, you can send them to school knowing they are in a much better position to digest the information they are taught.

Lunch

For those parents who prepare packed lunches for their children, it can be difficult to make each meal healthy and exciting while keeping to an affordable budget.

Try alternating sandwiches with wraps and rolls to spice things up a little, and including a low-fat yoghurt and a piece of fruit.

Providing children have a balanced diet and are active, treating them to a small chocolate bar or bag of crisps livens up their lunch too.

Dehydration

Although summer is now a distant memory, children can still become dehydrated if they don’t drink enough water throughout the day.

Dehydration can also make children lethargic, making it much harder for them to engage in lessons.

Babies and young children are one of the groups that are more vulnerable to dehydration, so it’s important they stay hydrated.

The best way to keep your child happy and hydrated is by giving them water. Rehydration solutions are also available from pharmacies.

Safe cycling and scooting

Riding bicycles and scooters is a great way to help keep children fit and healthy.

It’s also an exciting way of getting to school.

However, it’s important that they stay safe when they do.

It’s highly recommended that all children wear helmets whenever they cycle or scoot just in case they take a tumble.

If you’re on the road with children, cycle behind them, and if there are two adults in your group it’s a good idea to have one at the back and one in front.

It’s also a good idea to teach them some basic rules of the road – don’t jump red lights, signal clearly at all times and ride in a position where you can see and be seen.

(Image: Comstock Images)

Colds

Children get around seven to 10 colds a year compared with two to three for adults.

A cold is a mild viral infection which for children can last for around a week – it can cause a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat and a cough.

There are a few things the whole family can do to avoid catching a cold.

Boost your child’s immune system by keeping fit and healthy, use disposable tissues and regularly wash hands to avoid transferring germs on to other people, toys and furniture.

Asthma

An asthma attack can be triggered by a sudden change in the weather. The sudden changes in temperature can trigger wheezing and shortness of breath, which if left unmanaged can lead to an asthma attack.

If you have a child with asthma, make sure they have a spare inhaler when they go out.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations protect us against some of the world’s most infectious diseases and prevent thousands of unnecessary deaths every year, so it’s important that parents act on current advice.

Most vaccinations are given as a baby but there are some that come later in childhood, such as the HPV vaccine for girls at 12-13 years old, which protects against cervical cancer, the three-in-one teenage booster which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and polio and the Men ACWY vaccine which protects against meningitis A, C, W and Y.

If you haven’t had your child vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella, no matter what their age, talk to you GP today.

Head lice

Head lice is a common problem for children, especially those between four and 11 years old.

While they are largely harmless, they can live in the hair for a long time, are very contagious and can be irritating to deal with.

Head lice are very small whitish or grey-brown insects that range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a sesame seed. You can know for sure if your child has head lice by using a special fine comb which can be bought from the chemist. There are two main treatments for head lice – lotions or sprays that kill the bug or by using a specially designed comb that removes them.